The copper output of Cuba has increased in an extraordinary degree during the past few years, but there are no indications that this increase will continue. Two mines are responsible for nearly all the production. One is an old mine near Santiago, the El Cobre, which yielded about one-quarter of the total output. It is owned by the German metal combine, which ships the ore and concentrates to Norfolk, where they are treated by the smelter owned by Beer, Sondheimer & Co., who have always marketed the production. The Matahambre mine, in Pinar del Rio Province, yields nearly the entire remaining Cuban output; it is owned by Cubans. Ore is shipped to the United States Smelting, Refining & Mining Co., of New York, and is believed to be sold by L. Vogelstein & Co. The reserves of copper ore in Cuba can not be considered large. Statistics of Cuban output are conflicting: producers’ reports, statistical authorities and United States commerce reports not being in agreement. All production is shipped in crude form to the United States for refining. There are copper deposits in Central America,[119] and at one or two points in the West Indies outside of Cuba. To date production has been insignificant, although future possibilities are considerable. [119] The Rosita mine, in Nicaragua, has 1,500,000 tons of ore blocked out, running over 5 per cent. copper. It has not been equipped. MEXICO The future importance of Mexico as a producer of copper or of other metals will be determined not only by the character of her natural deposits but by political conditions. The latter have materially decreased the output during the past few years, so that in 1917 production was about 100,000,000 pounds, probably not much over half what it would have been had normal conditions been continuous since 1912.